


Easy drachmae

by Dr_Hoffmans_Mechanic



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 21:25:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17753750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dr_Hoffmans_Mechanic/pseuds/Dr_Hoffmans_Mechanic
Summary: It should have been an easy job. But Kassandra was about to learn that some days the bear catches you.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be an amusing bit of nonsense about a hard bodied young misthios having the night of her life with an experienced older woman and getting paid for it, but it got away from me.  
> If you want to avoid smut with an older lady skip chapter 5, and then ask yourself why you opened an Auxesia fic ;)

Kassandra dropped the package to the floor with an expression of disgust. The bear’s scrotum was clearly leaking…something. It had started to seep through the oiled cloth that she had used for wrapping.

Warily, she opened her pack and sniffed experimentally. It wasn’t too strong, nevertheless she pulled out her short wine red cloak and eyed it anxiously. It wouldn’t show the stains, there was that at least. She shook it out and sniffed.

“Malaka!”, she cursed, wrinkling her nose and holding the cloth at arms-length.”Damn it to Tartarus.”

Good luck sweet talking a woman into bed reeking of bear’s balls, she thought miserably. She was going to have to wash it before she could wear it again. Or perhaps her payment for this disgusting errand would be enough to cover the cost of a replacement?

Using the payment to replace things you had damaged while carrying out the errand itself was a sure-fire way to never turn a profit, she thought sourly.

Phobos caught scent of the leaking package and huffed angrily, scraping at the grass with his hooves.

“Hey, hey!”, Kassandra carefully edged the bundle out of danger with the toe of her boot. “Careful! I don’t want to have to get another one. And neither do you!”, she raised a finger.

This whole wretched errand had been a fiasco from the beginning, she reflected. It had sounded easy enough when she saw it posted. Gather some ingredients, collect some drachmae; a walk in the park.

Admittedly the woman who had posted it had come on a little strong, eyeing Kassandra like a hungry wolf, but it wasn’t the first time that had happened and it wouldn’t be the last. 

Under other circumstances Kassandra might well have encouraged her.

Auxesia was considerably older than the eagle bearer, but since her first sexual encounters as a youth on Kephallonia Kassandra had bedded women of all kinds; tall, short, fat, thin, young, old, bold, shy and had found something to enjoy with all of them.

Right now though she was running low on ready cash and had been hoping for some easy drachmae, rather than an immediate sexual conquest. That was why she was so irritated by the whole thing. 

For a hunter like Kassandra it should have been an afternoon’s work, even if the ingredients had been a little odd. A deer tongue was fine, Kassandra herself considered it something of a delicacy.

The bear’s scrotum was something else. Auxesia saw her recoil at the request and explained that it was for a love potion for her reluctant husband.

Kassandra wasn’t convinced that a potion smelling anything like the parcel at her feet would make him any less reluctant, but drachmae were drachmae.

She had set out fully expecting to be swaggering off later that afternoon with a heavy coin purse in her belt.

She had nursed ideas of a meal not cooked over a camp fire, some halfway decent wine, a repair to one of the straps on her breast plate; then if there was enough left over perhaps a warm bed and a warm woman for the night.

And a couple of apples for Phobos of course.

Instead she had spent the night sheltering from persistent rain in a rudimentary shelter she had managed to cobble together before it got too dark to see.

She spent most of the night trying to keep alive a small fire, chewing disconsolately on the few dry rations she had in her pack. The small flask of cheap, weak wine she had packed did nothing to improve her mood, and the only company she had was a disgruntled Phobos.

He demonstrated an uncanny ability to sense whenever she was about to doze off and would rouse her with an angry, wet snort. If he had to endure this, so did she.

She did at least have the requested scrotum.

But not before she’d seen the stupidest, clumsiest beast outside of Markos, blunder into a pack of hungry, equally stupid wolves.

Kassandra has shinned up into a tree to observe. She had hoped the bear would kill a few wolves, that the remainder would kill the bear for her, she would pick off any stragglers and then hop down and collect her disgusting prize.

Instead she watched in slack jawed disbelief as the fight unfolded.

The bear did eventually manage to kill a wolf, by dint of tripping on his own feet and falling on the unfortunate beast from his full, rear legged height.

Apparently startled by this unexpected success he had then taken off at full speed up the steep mountainside with the remaining wolves in hot pursuit.

Then it began to rain.

Kassandra cursed ripely, slid down from her perch and set off at a steady jog.

When she eventually caught up with them she was a little winded, soaking wet and very angry.

So were the survivors.

A couple of wolves lay dead. Kassandra wouldn’t have been surprised to learn they had accidentally killed each other judging by the way things had unfolded so far.

The remaining combatants were all wounded to the point of dangerous frenzy though and Kassandra had to keep her wits about her as she sought a high vantage point. 

By the time they all lay dead she had spent more time and energy and used more arrows than she cared to consider.

She had sliced off the bear’s scrotum, wrapped it tightly in a piece of oiled cloth from her pack and retrieved as many usable arrows as she could find. By this time it was too dark to do much else beyond throw up some shelter.

That morning she had been startled from a doze by Phobos blowing wetly in her face.

She was cold, wet, hungry and still had a fucking deer to kill.

Thankfully Artemis seemed to eventually take pity on her and the deer walked right into her line of sight not half an hour later.

Maybe things were taking a turn for the better she reflected, climbing into the saddle and urging Phobos to a steady canter.

Then the smell had started.

“Well at least I spotted it, before it did TOO much damage eh?” she picked up the bundle and advanced on Phobos, intending to fasten it to his saddle where it could do no further damage to the rest of her meagre supplies.

He had other ideas though, retreating just as quickly, with an angry snort, tossing his head in disgust to emphasise his point.

“Oh come ON!”, Kassandra threw her arms wide, inadvertently spattering her boots with scrotum seepage.

“Fuck!”, she gazed at them dismally.

“Look, come on old friend”, she adopted a wheedling tone and advanced very slowly.

“Half an hour quick riding and we’re done. We get our money and we go get breakfast. Apples….mmm….nice fresh apples for Phobos because he’s such a good…” She could almost feel his velvety nose under her fingers, when he tossed his head and sprinted off a good way, eyed her scornfully and lowered his head to graze.

“Malaka!” Kassandra bellowed.

Could this whole enterprise get any worse? She gazed into the distance. From here she could just make out the Temple of Apollo that was her landmark. It was too far for her to contemplate walking in wet clothes, with an empty belly,  a parcel of ripening bear genitals and a rapidly spoiling deer tongue.

“If we don’t get paid for this because these fucking things go bad before we get there it will be all YOUR fault!”, she shook a finger in Phobos’ direction.

He ate on, unimpressed.

“If I have castrated a fucking bear for nothing then you have have seen your last apple, my friend.”

She turned her back on him and stomped heavily away.

“In fact if we DO get paid you’re going to be shit out of luck after this. It’ll be wine, women and song for me,” she thumbed her breastplate.”And a lump of dried up old turnip for you, IF you’re lucky.”

Her angry pacing took her right through a thick patch of wild thyme. Her boots bruised the tough little leaves and a pleasantly pungent scent competed successfully with the parcel of meats.

Smirking to herself Kassandra stomped on the herb a bit to release more oil, before crouching down, unsheathing her dagger and cutting a thick handful.

Turning back to Phobos she advanced slowly and steadily, thyme in her outstretched hand, the other hidden behind her back.

Phobos raised his head and eyed her suspiciously, but clearly her plan was working. He sniffed appreciatively and decided that his mistress was bringing him a treat by way of apology for her harsh words.

“No, no, my friend”, Kassandra held it away from his questing lips as she slyly balanced the less appetising parcel on his saddle.

“Not for eating. There’s not enough for that. Smells good though eh?”

She had a piece of twine in her belt, it was a spare piece of the type she used for binding her braid. Fishing it out she used it to fasten the thyme to Phobos’ harness.

Whilst he was waving his head gently, enjoying the scent, Kassandra quickly tied the oil cloth package to the saddle and swung aloft, keeping physical contact to a minimum.

From where she sat the scent was a lot more bear balls and a lot less thyme, but the end was in sight she told herself.

Urging Phobos to a gallop she set off in the direction of the temple.


	2. Chapter 2

As they approached their destination some half an hour later Kassandra slowed Phobos to a gentle amble, keeping an eye out for a likely place to tether him whilst she completed her errand.

Her eye was caught by two little girls crouched by the roadside.

They were absorbed in what seemed to be a game of marbles, the target a divot in the dusty path. The older of the two was about the same size and build as Phoibe. Or at least as Phoibe had been when Kassandra had last seen her.

She experienced a painful twist of homesickness.

Not for Kephallonia; she’d always thought the island was a bit of a shit hole with way too many goats.

Not for Markos either. She owed him, she knew that, but she also knew he was a shifty bastard who she didn’t trust as far as she could throw him. 

No, it was purely for Phoibe, cocky, scrappy little Phoibe, who had hero-worshiped her. She was pretty much all Kassandra had by way of family these days, along with Barnabas, and yet days had gone by without her giving the girl a thought.

She should try and get a message to her. Send Ikaros perhaps? She’d like that.

Spotting a length of disused fence, the skeletal remains of some long decayed border, she pulled Phobos to a halt and slid gracefully from the saddle, spoiling the overall effect by catching the leaky parcel with her knee at the last second.

Half an hour bouncing around in the strengthening sun had done it no favours and Kassandra was suddenly glad she’d had no breakfast.

Taking the reins she tied them loosely about a wobbly upright. It swayed precariously and Phobos gave her a sceptical look.

“Yeah, I know”, she hissed. “It’s just for appearances. Do me a favour and don’t tug on it.”

The girls were clearly well accustomed to through traffic. They had not looked up during the whole of this. In fact they paid Kassandra no mind until her heavy boots encroached on the borders of their game.

“Oy! Watch your big feet”, the older girl cemented the resemblance to Phoibe in Kassandra’s mind and she couldn’t help but smile.

The girl raised her head to take in the intruder, looking up and up and up till she eventually settled on her face.

Kassandra was well aware of the imposing figure she cut. She used it to her advantage nearly every day.

She could intimidate an enemy, bluff her way out of a brawl, sway an argument, seduce a woman. What she had no desire to do was scare a child.

She gentled her expression, relaxed her shoulders, loosened her arms by her sides.

“Hello, my young friends” she smiled.

The younger girl had been so absorbed in her game that only at this point did she register that they had company.

She swung round a little, peered over her shoulder at the huge figure and promptly lost her balance, plopping down hard on her ass.

“Whoops!”, Kassandra squatted down and offered a hand. “Did you hurt yourself?”

The child ignored the outstretched hand and shook her head mutely, gazing open mouthed at Kassandra who withdrew her hand slowly.

“Good. I didn’t mean to interrupt your game”, she said softly.

“Really?” the older girl said tartly, getting to her feet. This put her eye to eye with the crouching woman.

““Really” what?” Kassandra turned her head to face her and found herself eye to eye with a sharp little weather bronzed face.

“You said you didn’t mean to interrupt”, the girl replied.”So why did you come over then?”

Kassandra was momentarily wrong footed.

“You have a point”, she conceded.

The younger girl had scrabbled to her feet now. Even standing upright she barely reached Kassandra’s shoulder.

She had clearly decided that the invading giant intended no harm, because she tottered over and gaped, fascinated, at her, placing one sticky little hand on Kassandra’s bare knee for balance.

She smiled gently and gave the tiny child a wink, receiving a bright gap toothed grin in return.

“All right, I suppose I did mean to interrupt, but I didn’t mean to startle you. What’s your name?” she turned her gaze back to the older girl.

“Alkippe. What’s yours?”she volleyed back.

“Kassandra. And this is?” she indicated the younger girl.

“That’s my little sister, Hippolyta, but we all call her Lyta cos it’s a mouthful and she’s only little. She can’t even say it herself,” Alkippe brushed dust from her palms and knees.

“Well Hippolyta is a proud name”, Kassandra smiled at the tiny girl. “The mighty queen of the Amazons was named Hippolyta.”

“Yeah, we know”, Alkippe assured her. “It’s funny, cos she’s so tiny right?”

“Well you won’t be tiny forever Lyta”, Kassandra assured her.

“Ssandra?” she smiled gappily.

“Kass. Kass-andra”, she corrected.

“Kass-andra?”, Lyta said quietly, trying it out, rolling it around her tongue to see how it felt. She looked up at her and extended a pudgy finger. “Pretty!”

Kassandra smiled and arched an eyebrow, momentarily disarmed.

“Not  _you_!”, Alkippe quickly disabused her of that notion.

“She means your…” she wafted a vague hand in the general direction of Kassandra’s upper body, “fringey shoulder things. The metal bits on the ends. She likes shiny things. Mater says she’s like a crow.”

“Well crows are very intelligent,” Kassandra defended.

She got to her feet very carefully so as not to knock over the smaller child.

Standing upright, she did her best not to loom, without much success. Her earlier, gentle approach had clearly worked though. Neither child seemed at all intimidated.

“So’s she”, Alkippe cocked her head in her sister’s direction. “Just cos she’s tiny don’t go thinking she’s stupid.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it”, Kassandra held up her hands placatingly.

“Hang on? Kassandra?!”, Alkippe’s brows knitted in thought. “You’re that misthios right? The one with the big bird? Where is it?” she cast an eye skywards.

“He’s off hunting somewhere”, Kassandra hoped he wouldn’t choose this moment to come and settle on her head. She couldn’t help feeling as though she was barely clinging to her dignity already.

“You’re running an errand for the old lady right? Auxesia?”Alkippe seemed pleased to have placed her.

“She came over for some eggs after you’d set off. She was all “lustrous hair” this, “brawny arms” that, “magnificent thighs” the other. Then mater made us go inside and shut the door. So I don’t know what the errand was. But you took long enough. She was expecting you yesterday, you know.”

She eyed Kassandra slowly all the way down, then all the way back up again, pausing at the expanse of bronzed thigh revealed through the curtaining of her pteruges. She pursed her lips considering.

For a moment Kassandra felt more naked than she had in circumstances where she actually had been naked.

She had the uneasy feeling that she was losing her grip on the conversation and decided to rein it back.

“She asked me to get her a couple of items, which I have done,” she gestured over her shoulder to Phobos. “Now I just need to…”

“Is one of them whatever is stinking up the place something fierce?” Alkippe asked pointedly. “At first I thought it was you.”

Kassandra liked children well enough, but she had her limits.

“What did you say?” she braced her hands on her hips. This always worked.

“Calm down”, Alkippe remained unswayed.

“I didn’t mean that _you_  stink.  I figured you’d been off fighting monsters and got monster stink on you. You look like the type that would go off fighting monsters. I’ve never seen one, but I read the stories. They probably smell like whatever that is,” she wrinkled her nose and wafted a hand in front of her face.

“I was going to offer you our horse trough to swill off in, cos that reeks like a dead bear’s balls”.

“Hey. Language!”, Kassandra glanced down at Lyta who was clinging to the straps of her belt and clearly considering putting the metal cap of one in her mouth.

“I thought you didn’t hear what the errand was, anyway,” she said absently, removing the grimy leather strap from Lyta’s sticky grasp.

“I didn’t”, Alkippe shrugged.

“Auxesia started on about how you could probably go all night and mater shoved us inside. So I don’t know _where_ it was you could go, or why she thought you’d be back before bedtime if it was going to take you all night…hang on!” she grinned broadly

“Do you mean it actually _is_ bear balls?! You went off on an errand to get a bear’s balls for her? I thought being a misthios was all raiding forts and finding hidden treasure and whatnot. Not cutting off bears’ balls,” she laughed heartily.

“I help where I can”, Kassandra said tightly. “And stop saying bear’s balls,” she added primly.

“What does she want a bear’s balls for anyway?” Alkippe had stopped laughing and was looking quizzically up in the direction of Auxesia’s house.

“I have no idea”, Kassandra lied. “I just did what…”

“HORSE!”, Lyta abruptly exclaimed. “Pretty horse”, she cooed approvingly, much to Kassandra’s relief.

“Yes, that’s my horse. His name is Phobos. Would you like to meet him?” she bent and offered Lyta a hand. The little girl nodded vigorously.

Alkippe snorted.

“If you plan on taking her over there, you’d better carry her cos your bear’s balls will _definitely_ have gone off by the time you get there otherwise. That and you’ll put your back out.”

She had a point Kassandra realised.

“Lyta, is it all right if I pick you up?” she asked softly.

The child held out her dusty hands by way of answer.

Kassandra stooped and wrapped one strong arm about the girl’s waist and hoisted her up. She was a solid little weight against Kassandra’s side.

She perched her on her arm at waist height and smiled as the little girl clung to her neck with sticky hands. She smelled of fresh sweat, honey and a hint of lavender. At least one of the scents explained the state of her hands she decided.

Phobos was on his best behaviour as Kassandra introduced Lyta. He snuffled softly at her outstretched hand and allowed her to stroke his nose.

“Hairy nose,” she observed thoughtfully.

Kassandra followed her gaze. It was true. She’d never really considered it before.

She looked down at Alkippe who was plucking grass and handing it to her sister to feed to Phobos. He reached out with gentle lips to tease it from her hands.

“You mentioned something about a horse trough?”

“Aye, do you want a wash? I don’t blame you. I’m surprised your poor horse hasn’t thrown up with them stinking things tied to his back.”

Kassandra actually gave it serious consideration.

“Perhaps when I’ve delivered this, not much point before I get rid of them”, she pointed out.

“I would like somewhere safe to leave Phobos where he can have a drink and something to eat. Think you can arrange that?”

“Yeah, I reckon so”, Alkippe nodded. “for a price.”

Kassandra looked down at her with raised eyebrows.

“Don’t give me that face misthios, you know how it is, nothing for nothing”, Alkippe observed astutely.

“Fine”, Kassandra made a show of sighing but it was a fair enough point.

The children seemed decently fed, their clothes were clean but threadbare and their sandals were overdue for repair. She doubted there was much spare coin in their home.

She handed Lyta down to her sister so the child could continue to pet Phobos while she fished her coin pouch out of her belt. She opened the laces and surveyed the depressingly meagre contents.

Alkippe gave her a sympathetic look.

“Now I get why you were hunting for bears’ balls. Time’s are hard all over eh?” she glanced at the misthios with a wisdom beyond her years and Kassandra had the uncomfortable feeling of things getting away from her again.

She’d felt that too much in the past twenty four hours.

“I’m doing fine. I don’t need your sympathy”, she responded a little more sharply than she had anticipated and was about to apologise but Alkippe shrugged.

“Good, cos you’re not getting it. You’ve a fine big horse, fancy armour, enough coin in your purse to give us a few in exchange for some hay and fresh water. And I reckon you’ve got to be just as brave and strong to come back with a bear’s balls as its heart right? Maybe more.” She paused thoughtfully.

“Though I suppose you _killed_ the bear first eh?” she asked  dryly.

Kassandra found she had to swallow before she could speak, but when she did she responded with equal dryness.

“I didn’t think he’d want to go on living without them.”

She fished out a few coins, more than she figured would cover Phobos’ feed and handed them over to Alkippe, who deposited them in a pocket of her tunic.

This done, Kassandra ferreted down to the bottom of the pouch and pulled out another coin. It wasn’t the most valuable of the ones that remained, but it was far and away the shiniest.

“And this is for you”, she bent and handed it to Lyta. “Reckon it’s worth an apple for Phobos? If you have any to spare.”

“Say thank you to Kassandra”, Alkippe prompted her little sister softly after a thoughtful pause.

As the tiny child hugged Kassandra’s muscular thigh and thanked her, the older girl and the misthios exchanged a look.

“Aye, I reckon that’s worth a couple of apples for the big lad.”

“So. Is it far? Your place?” Kassandra rubbed the back of her neck. This day was one funny turn after another.

“Bout five minutes on this big fellah” Alkippe pointed off to her right.

“I’d say we should all ride, but I don’t want to get too close to them stinking things. I think they’ve gone off you know. It can’t be right them smelling like that. How do they ever get a woman bear to come anywhere near them otherwise? Unless they smell different to bears?” she tailed off thoughtfully.

Whilst she was pondering this Kassandra squinted off in the direction she’d indicated.

The rough path sloped down sharply through neatly tended fields, and off in the distance she could just make out a small farmhouse and some livestock grazing nearby, but it was too far to make out what the animals were.

It was also a good deal further than Kassandra wanted to walk back, uphill, with that reeking parcel.

Before she could say anything Alkippe touched her arm with unexpected gentleness.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she avoided Kassandra’s glance and gazed off towards her home. “It’s a long way back in the hot sun and them balls aren’t getting any fresher. He’s a good horse right? He’ll let us lead him? You can come pick him up when you’re done with the old lady.”

Kassandra looked down at the child and smiled, but she was still feigning interest in the farmhouse, avoiding her gaze. She pulled out her coin pouch again.

“No you don’t”, Alkippe held up her hand. “What you gave us was fair. We don’t need charity.”

“I wasn’t going to give it to you as charity”, Kassandra bristled a little. “It’s a long way for you too. And you were playing.” She gestured weakly back to the abandoned marbles.

“Look,” Alkippe met her eyes at last.

“A lot of mercenaries would have given us a belt round the ear and taken our apples for nothing. And they wouldn’t have been kind to my sister. So it’s a kindness for a kindness. Don’t worry misthios, I’m not starting a fashion. Someone will be trying to kill you again tomorrow.”

Kassandra laughed heartily, startling Lyta, who had been holding up her coin to catch the sunlight. She looked up at her new hero and laughed along innocently.

“Can you ride?” Kassandra asked, shaking her head fondly and tucking her depleted coin pouch back in her belt.

“Aye, ponies”, Alkippe replied cautiously.

Kassandra removed the smelly parcel from the saddle. It was dripping a little now. She held it at arms-length and dropped it in the grass by the path. It landed with a wet plop.

“Oh fuck, Kassandra!”, Alkippe clasped her hand over her mouth and nose.

“Hey, language!”, Kassandra ruffled the girl’s hair.

Alkippe made a performance of shrugging her off but couldn’t disguise her smile.

“Your mater is going to wonder where Lyta has picked it up.”

“I’ll blame you”, Alkippe smirked.

Kassandra wiped her hands in the grass and then pulled up a couple of handfuls of stalks to wipe off the saddle.

This done, she held out her hands to Alkippe and cocked her head, seeking permission. Alkippe stepped into her grasp and allowed herself to be lifted up and placed securely on Phobos’ back.

Then she turned to Lyta. The little girl was gazing captivated at her sister atop the huge beast.

“Your turn?”, Kassandra crouched down and held out her arms.

“Ooh…horse”, Lyta breathed dreamily, rushing into her arms and clinging to her neck as she carried her over to Phobos.

“Thank you”, she squeezed tight and pressed her cheek to Kassandra’s.

“You are very welcome”, Kassandra smiled and tucked the small girl in snugly between her sister’s knees.

“Hold on tight now. Here, like that. And keep your fingers out of his way when you feed him apples”, she winked.

“Phobos”, she turned to him. “Listen carefully. Take care of Alkippe and Lyta all right? Walk carefully and do what they ask you. I will be along later. Be a good boy, and don’t eat too many apples. See you later girls.”

She gave Phobos a light slap on the flank and he set off at a leisurely amble. Kassandra could hear Lyta crowing with delight as they shrank away into the distance.

Taking a deep breath, that she immediately regretted, she picked up her package and set off up the path to Auxesia’s place. She had an old woman to make very happy. She hoped.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time she got to the top of the sloping path to Auxesia’s place the full strength of the mid day sun was beating down on her backplate and trickles of sweat were running down between her shoulder blades, gathering at the small of her back.

She was about to call out, when a figure emerged from the dimness of the building.

It wasn’t Auxesia that was for sure.

First impressions were important in Kassandra’s line of work, so she moved the dripping bag behind her back.

The new arrival was an elderly man.

The reluctant husband, she guessed.

His shiny bald crown was fringed by a ruff of dandelion clock hair. His deeply lined face indicated that its default expression was one of weary anxiety.

Turning and spotting the muscular, well armed stranger at his door, it was quickly replaced with an expression of deep alarm.

He held up his hands in a futile gesture of defense and stepped back from her, almost tripping over a well worn lute propped up by the door.

Kassandra was swiftly by his side reaching for his arm.

He was the source of half her payment if she remembered correctly, and she’d be lucky to get any drachmae at all if he broke his damn neck before the potion was even made.

He reared away from her grasp, waving his hands before him, wailing pathetically.

“What do you want?” he looked around desperately. Seeking cover, Kassandra speculated.

“Calm yourself, old man”, she adopted the same tone she would use to gentle a startled horse. “I don’t mean you any harm.”

“MISTHIOS!”, a familiar voice rang out and Auxesia emerged through the door, smiling broadly.

“You’re back. I was beginning to get worried that something had happened to you”, she rushed over to Kassandra and placed one hand on her bracer, the other dramatically between her own breasts.

“But you look just as magnificent as I remembered. And I  _did_  remember.” She smiled seductively. “Koragos look, this is the misthios I was talking about.”

“A misthios?!” he whined pitifully, clasping his head. “Gods have mercy woman, what use do we have for a misthios. What have you done now?”

“She has been completing a task for me”, Auxesia rested a hand on the hard muscle of Kassandra’s biceps, squeezing admiringly. “You  _did_  complete it, right?”

“Indeed I did”, Kassandra gave her most disarming grin and produced the package with a flourish.

“Gods preserve us”, Koragos backed away even further and his face seemed to crumple in on itself as the stench reached him.

“Ah, I wondered what that smell was”, Auxesia wafted an elegant hand in front of her face and watched approvingly as Kassandra placed the package on top of the low stone wall bordering the path.

“Well done misthios, very well done. I knew you were the right woman for the job. Praise the gods you are undamaged” she ran an appreciative eye down Kassandra’s body. “You are undamaged aren’t you?”

“Totally”, Kassandra smiled and braced her hands on her hips. “It was no easy task of course, but it will take more than an enormous, ferocious bear to damage this”, she puffed out her chest.

“Goodness”, Auxesia rested her hand on the sun warmed, sculpted muscles of Kassandra’s breast plate.

“I wish I could have been there to see you in action”, she ran the tip of her tongue over her lips.

“Oh, it was no sight for you”, Kassandra said, with feeling, remembering how it had unfolded.

“The mess…and er…blood,” she added by way of explanation.

“Well, now that you have your ingredients, you can get cracking on making your potion, and then the two of you can…get…cracking…” she tailed off uncomfortably.

“Ingredients? Potion!” Koragos squeaked coming over to join them and grasping at his wife’s arm. “Please no, I beg you woman. You are going to kill me with this.”

Kassandra glanced sidelong at the fat, ugly flies circling the package and considered that this was actually quite likely.

But so long as it happened after she received payment it was no concern of hers.

“Well clearly you two have things to talk about”, she crossed her arms. “I will take my payment and get out of your way. Leave you to it.”

“I am begging you, wife”, Koragos whined on obliviously.

Of course he _would_ choose this point to become immune to Kassandra’s presence, she reflected sourly.

“No more. For the love of Zeus, I can’t do this any more.”

“But Koragos my love”, Auxesia stroked his arm soothingly. “This potion. It will restore your potency. One dose and you will have all the vigour of your youth. Of _our_ youth! Remember how we used to make the stars witness to our passion every night, and how we would praise Aphrodite with our cries of ecstasy?”

Kassandra cleared her throat loudly.

“Clearly this is a private conversation. It will be much easier to negotiate without a stranger listening in. So I’ll just take my payment and be on…”

“Auxesia, my love,”, Koragos cut her off. “I know that you still have the hungers of your youth, but I do not. I am old and tired. I want to sit in the sun with my friends, drink a little wine, sing a few songs, tell some tales. Is that so bad?”

“But Koragos, my darling”, she stroked his weary face.“I have needs my love. I have grown old but my desire has not. I lie alone every night, listening to you singing with your friends, while I need you to make  _me_  sing Koragos, to make my body sing. Is that so bad?”

“You will be the death of me, I swear. Pity me wife. Why can you not take a lover to fill your needs, like other women?”

Kassandra heaved a great sigh and was about to intervene on behalf of the needs of a misthios to fair payment when she noticed Auxesia’s expression.

She had been desperately pleading with her husband, eyes soft and hopeful. Suddenly, briefly, a shadow of profound sadness spread over her and she dropped her hands to her sides.

The momentary break in the conversation gave Kassandra a chance to speak.

“Auxesia. Koragos,” she moved between them. “If I might suggest something?”, she looked from one to the other hopefully. They each gave a silent nod.

“Very well”, she drew herself up to her full height and folded her arms impressively.

“Auxesia? You and I had an agreement, no? You would pay me for certain ingredients. I acquired them, and at no small personal risk, I might add. But such is the lot of a misthios. The lot of a customer is to pay up when the task is completed, no?”, she glanced at them meaningfully and was rewarded with another pair of small, silent nods.

“Look. I got you the ingredients. How you choose to use them. Or even if you choose to use them at all is no concern of mine” she began to pace.

“A misthios should be paid for their work, right? We can agree on that? I castrated a bear for you, for fuck's sake.”

“Castrated a …?” Koragos began, his face a picture of horror. Kassandra cut him off with a raised finger.

“But I’m a reasonable woman”, she continued.

“I want my drachmae, of course. But I also want a satisfied customer. I have a reputation to maintain after all”.

She stopped and looked from one to the other.

“I have a proposition”, she came to a halt and turned to Koragos who winced in nervous anticipation.

“Your wife is a vigorous, attractive woman. She has all the needs of a woman. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?”

“Well...nooo…it’s just that I…”, he wheedled pitifully.

“Good. We’re agreed on that then”, she silenced him before he could get into his stride.

“Auxesia”, she turned to the older woman.

Truth be told, she was looking a little smug, but the look died when she met Kassandra’s gaze.

“Of course you have needs, but so does your husband. He needs to rest, relax with his friends, spend his twilight years sitting in the sun, strumming his lute. Not unreasonable after so many years of vigorous efforts, right?”

Auxesia dropped her chin sadly and gave a sigh.

“No, of course not misthios”, she avoided her gaze.

“So, how about this?” Kassandra said brightly.

“Let ME satisfy you.” She threw back her shoulders, braced her hands on her hips and grinned broadly.

“I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. _You_ get peace and quiet, Koragos. _You_ get satisfaction, Auxesia. _I_ get my drachmae.  _And_  I don’t even want the balls and tongue back. Now I can’t say fairer than that, can I?”

There was a long pause where disbelief hung in the air, and Kassandra was beginning to wonder if she had misread the situation.

Auxesia and her husband exchanged a look.

“Well”, Auxesia placed a dainty hand to her chest.

“I have never been with a…misthios before. If you’re sure?”, she glanced from a grinning Kassandra to a nodding Koragos and back again.

“Let’s get you inside then and out of that armour; see what you’re made of," she smiled.

She turned and led the way inside, swaying her hips seductively as she went.

Kassandra followed, suddenly noticing the way her skirt clung about her ass as she walked.

She felt the first tell-tale tightening of desire low in her belly.

It had been quite a few weeks since she’d last been with a woman, and there was nothing wrong with mixing business and pleasure, she reasoned.


	4. Chapter 4

The house was airy and cool inside, and Kassandra was immediately aware of how much she smelt of stale sweat, with an unpleasant undercurrent of spoiled meat.

It seemed Alkippe hadn’t been so wide of the mark when she’d wondered if the misthios was the source of the stink.

Auxesia didn’t seem to mind, however.

As soon as they were inside she dragged her through a door to the left, into the bedroom, turned sharply and pushed herself up against Kassandra, reaching up to wrap her arms about her neck, kissing her hungrily.

Kassandra’s arms automatically wrapped around the older woman’s shoulders, pulling her in close against the unyielding bronze of her armour.

Auxesia knitted her fingers in Kassandra’s thick, dark hair, catching awkwardly at the root of her braid.

Kassandra didn’t mind her pleasure seasoned with a little pain, when she was in the mood, but this was not quite how she had pictured things unfolding.

Nevertheless she opened her mouth to Auxesia’s questing tongue, smiling into the kiss as the older woman moaned hungrily.

She allowed this to continue for a couple of minutes, running her fingers firmly up and down Auxesia’s back, before gently taking hold of her shoulders and easing her back to arms-length.

Auxesia had been dark eyed with desire, but suddenly looked a little crestfallen.

“Steady, lovely one”, Kassandra soothed, stroking her soft, lined cheek with the back of her fingers. “Everything is all right, just ease back a little.”

“Oh, of course!” Auxesia was struck with enlightenment. “I am sorry misthios. Of course,  _you_  want to be in charge”, she rushed to the bed and began to fumble with the clasps of her dress.

Kassandra was behind her immediately, reaching round to catch her hands and ease them down from her shoulders, till she had her palming her own breasts through the fabric of her dress.

“It’s not that”, she bent to whisper huskily in Auxesia’s ear.

Then she paused and corrected herself.

“Well, it’s a  _little_  bit that, but mainly it’s that there’s no rush.”

“But, I know you’re a busy woman, misthios, and you have already spent so much time helping me.”

Auxesia pushed her ass back firmly against Kassandra’s hips, expertly slipping her hands out from under the younger woman’s, reaching back and grasping at her belt, pulling Kassandra's hips hard against her ass.

Before she had time to consider what had happened Kassandra found herself grinding slowly against her, cunt aching.

Gods, it had been a long time, and it would be so easy to just give in to what Auxesia seemed to want.

But she remembered that brief look of sorrow and vulnerability that she had noticed earlier and drew back.

Collecting herself she turned the older woman in her arms and smiled.

“Auxesia, I am not  _that_  busy”, she gave a soft laugh.

“I am here for your pleasure, for your satisfaction. Not for a quick standing fuck against your bedroom wall.”

She stroked her cheek with a calloused thumb and continued. “Unless that is what you really want, of course?”

Kassandra had had some very enjoyable quick standing fucks over the years, not all of them in places as pleasant as this bedroom, so she knew there was a time and a place for everything.

She did, however, have different plans for Auxesia.

“And whatever you decide on”, she cocked her head playfully. “I would like to smell better while I do whatever your heart desires. Is there anywhere I could wash off the stink of the road?”

Auxesia seemed to be weighing up what Kassandra had said.

“Yes, yes, of course”, she collected herself. “There’s a pump in the yard. I’ll bring a bowl of water and some wash cloths.”

She made to set off, but Kassandra caught her arm.

“Are you always in such a rush”, she laughed.

“No wonder you are so frisky. So much energy. I’ll wash in the yard if that’s all right? I don’t want to splash all over the floor. Also, do you have something to drink? It’s been a long, hot day so far and my mouth is the  _only_  part of my body that is dry”, she cocked a suggestive eyebrow.

Auxesia laughed and ran a finger across the sculpted pectorals of Kassandra’s breastplate.

“Of course misthios. I will bring us some wine. And some food perhaps? You can’t have had time to eat properly today, and you are going to need to keep up your energy if you _really_ intend on giving me whatever my heart desires”, she smiled and made for the door.

“Take off your armour while you wait, misthios. I won’t be long.”

“Thank you” Kassandra called after her retreating back, and began to remove her bracers. “And you can call me Kassandra you know.”

By the time Auxesia returned, most of Kassandra’s armour was piled neatly in the corner of the room.

She sat on the bed to remove her boots and watched as the older woman placed the laden tray she was carrying on a low table at the foot of the bed.

Auxesia poured two cups of wine from a clay jug and handed one to Kassandra.

She accepted it gratefully and took a large gulp. She was more thirsty than she had realised and quickly drained the rest of it. She should have asked for water she thought as the older woman took the cup from her hand and refilled it.

Handing it back to her she picked up Kassandra’s boots and placed them with the rest of her armour, leaving her sitting on the bed in just her sweaty tunic and underclothes.

Kassandra had eaten nothing since the nuts, dried fruit and very stale bread that had comprised her supper the previous evening and the wine was racing straight through her empty stomach to her head.

She watched as Auxesia placed the wine jug on the bedside table and then placed next to it a small glass bottle of clear, rich green liquid.

It looked like very good olive oil, but Kassandra thought back to the potion she’d been gathering ingredients for.

Auxesia caught her looking and flushed a little.

“It, er, it’s olive oil”, she confirmed. “I have, well, I have found that as I have become older I sometimes require a little additional…”

Kassandra got to her feet and raised Auxesia’s chin,  bending to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

“I like a woman who knows what she needs”, she whispered. “Now, let me wash and then you can tell me about all your _other_ needs.”

Before she followed Auxesia out to the yard, Kassandra raided the tray and folded some cheese and cold goat meat into a piece of fresh flat bread. By the time they reached the water pump she had wolfed it down and was licking her fingers clean.

Auxesia began to fill a wooden bucket but Kassandra stopped her.

“I can do that. Why don’t you take a seat…preserve your energy”, she winked and indicated a low bench by the door.

“I will bring you a cloth…before I enjoy the show”, Auxesia smiled suggestively and sashayed off inside.

By the time she returned with a couple of coarse linen cloths and a soft towel Kassandra had rinsed her clothes clean, hung them on the yard wall to dry and had drunk deeply from the pump.

She was standing, naked and glistening, lifting a half full bucket to shoulder height.

“Gods preserve us” Auxesia gasped, taking in Kassandra’s broad, well muscled shoulders, the hard planes of her belly and hips, the thick dark curls covering her sex, the long taut muscles of her thighs.

“Enjoying the view?” Kassandra flexed playfully.

Auxesia licked her lips and walked over to the bronzed goddess in her yard to place the cloths on the low stonework by the pump.

“You are very cocky, misthios”, she breathed huskily, running her hand along the hard muscle of Kassandra’s flexed arm.

“You should go take a seat”, Kassandra tilted the bucket she was holding. “Unless you want to get wet?”

“What makes you so sure I’m not wet already,” Auxesia backed away till her legs hit the bench and sat down suddenly, not taking her eyes off the younger woman for a moment.

“So, you’re telling me we won’t be needing the oil after all? I can use it for dipping bread then?” Kassandra smirked.

Taking a deep breath, she carefully tipped the bucket over herself, avoiding her hair as well as she could.

Even prepared for it, the sudden chill made Kassandra’s whole body shudder, and her nipples stiffened so suddenly and fiercely that it made her hiss.

Picking up one of the rough cloths she began to scrub herself down.

She was aware of Auxesia’s eyes on her as she worked her way down her body, and flexed and stretched occasionally, determined to give her the best of shows.

Glancing up, she saw Auxesia leaning forwards, frowning. Her hands were clasped together tightly at her crotch.  _Very_  tightly, Kassandra observed.

She would have to finish up quickly. It wouldn’t do to have the customer doing the work of the misthios, she smiled to herself, and raised a foot to the stonework of the pump so she could scrub her thigh.

“Gods. Look at you,” Auxesia exclaimed at this. “You have never had a lonely night in your life have you?”

Kassandra looked up. There was that same sudden painful vulnerability that she had caught a glimpse of earlier.

“Auxesia”, she said softly. “I am often lonely. You know nothing about me really. Or I about you. I lie alone most nights.”

“Surely by choice then, misthios”, Auxesia looked down at her lap. “Has anyone ever turned you down? Honestly?”

Kassandra swapped legs and frowned thoughtfully.

It hadn’t happened very often she had to admit. But perhaps she was just good at reading the signals of attraction that willing women cast her way.

“It has happened”, she said at last, filling a bucket to rinse herself off.

“You took a long time to think”, Auxesia sighed.

She looked up and smiled wearily.

“The last time it happened to me was last night. It was my own husband who turned me down. Again.”

She blinked hard and tilted her head back, gazing skywards for long moments.

“You wouldn’t know it to look at me now misthios, with my wrinkled face and sagging body, but I was once considered beautiful. Back in my glory days, when my eyes were bright and my breasts were as high and firm as yours. Every time I went to the agora I would feel men devouring me with their eyes. Women too. Now even my husband won’t look twice at me. I have become invisible in my old age. Except when I am a figure of ridicule…and disgust,” she avoided Kassandra’s eyes.

“And why shouldn’t I be? Look at me! A foolish, desperate old woman, hungering after a magnificent young creature like you. And for what? A heated memory to get me through the lonely nights,” she gave a long, shuddering sigh.

“It’s all right misthios” she said at last with a show of determined brightness.”I won’t ask you to go through with this... this grotesque mockery of desire. You can rest in the bedroom while you wait for your clothes to dry. I will bring you your drachmae and some more food, you’ve barely had a bite to eat.”

She placed her hands on her knees and looked up, ready to stand.

Kassandra was right in front of her, bronzed and glistening in the dappled, late afternoon sunlight, head tilted, expression all concern.

Auxesia closed her eyes against her glory.

“Savour your youth, misthios,” she whispered at last. “All too soon it will be gone. Your hair will grey. Your body soften. Your beautiful breasts droop. And all you will have will be the memories of your glory days. Drain them to the dregs at every chance.”

Kassandra gazed tenderly down at her. Reaching out she took hold of her arms and gently urged her to her feet.

“Auxesia,” she breathed, reaching out a calloused finger to raise her chin, chasing her embarrassed gaze. “If the people in your agora can no longer see your beauty then they are blind fools.”

Auxesia tried to avoid her eyes but Kassandra held her chin firmly.

“If you have changed your mind, tell me. Please? If you no longer want this, just say the word and I’ll leave. You only need to give me enough drachmae for a hot meal and a bed for the night. Tomorrow will bring me more work. I have never pressed myself onto a woman who didn’t desire it and I won’t begin today. But if you are trying to guess my desires, don’t. There’s no shame in this. In two willing women seeking pleasure in each other. I am not ashamed of my desire for you.”

“You are kind, misthios,” Auxesia smiled sadly. “I didn't expect you to be so kind. But you don’t need to feign a desire you don’t feel.”

“Do  _not_  call me a liar, Auxesia,” Kassandra bent and growled close in her ear.

She caught the older woman’s hand in her own. It felt small, birdlike.

Holding her gaze, she slid Auxesia’s hand down her body, over the firm swell of her breast, the hard peak of her nipple, the solid muscles of her belly, down through the thick curls of her sex, settling finally at the apex of her thighs.

She moved it there, rocking it firmly, hissing a little at the contact, allowing Auxesia to feel the slippery wetness that slicked Kassandra’s groin and inner thighs.

“I don’t lie about my desires”, she leaned forward, breathing the words into Auxesia’s mouth. “Don’t lie to me about yours.”

She could see the other woman’s eyes darkening as she watched.

“Do you want me Auxesia?” she leaned in, so close that their lips were barely touching and waited.

“Yes..oh gods yes”, Auxesia gasped, closing her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

It was all Kassandra needed to hear. 

She pulled the older woman into a tight embrace and claimed her mouth with her tongue. 

Auxesia grabbed her head, holding her tightly, moaning low as Kassandra licked into her mouth with greedy strokes.

Bending her knees, Kassandra slipped her hands down to Auxesia’s ass, tugging her skirts up past her thighs, lifting her easily. 

Auxesia clasped her legs about Kassandra’s hips, already grinding rhythmically against the hard ridges of her belly, hungry for some sort of friction.

Continually kissing her, Kassandra carried Auxesia into the bedroom and lowered her feet to the floor, allowing her to stand. 

Breaking the kiss, she ran her hands up to her shoulders, to the clasps fastening her dress.

“May I?”, she tugged lightly at them. 

Auxesia’s desperate nod was permission enough.

Kassandra untied the cord about Auxesia’s waist and breasts with the ease of experience, tossing it into the corner out of harm’s way.

The clasps were undone next, tossed on to the bedside table where they landed with a light clink next to the bottle of oil.

Unfastened, the dress fell down about her waist and Kassandra followed its path with lust darkened eyes. 

Auxesia’s breasts were larger than her own and sat lower on her chest. Kassandra palmed them firmly, rolling the stiffening nipples between her calloused fingers.

“How do you want it, lovely one?” she softly nipped the lobe of Auxesia’s ear, murmuring low, her voice thickened with desire. “Should I be gentle? Would you prefer it rough? Do you want my fingers, or my mouth?”

All the while she worried lightly at Auxesia’s neck and tugged gently at her nipples.

“I want all of it”, Auxesia grabbed Kassandra’s head and turned her face towards her. She was panting hard, her face and chest flushed.

Kassandra could suddenly see the shade of the beautiful young woman that still lay beneath the surface. She smiled tenderly and pressed a surprisingly chaste kiss to her lips.

“And you shall have it all my sweet, but how would you like it first?” 

She stepped back a pace and began to push Auxesia’s dress down past her hips. It fell to the floor with a hiss of fabric and Kassandra sank to her knees among the folds of it.

“No underwear”, she smilingly observed. “How convenient.” 

She pressed open mouthed kisses to the soft flesh of Auxesia’s belly, running the tips of her fingers up her thighs as she did so.

“I was hoping to reap the benefits of your ingredients”, Auxesia reminded her. “There didn’t seem to be much point.”

“You’re still reaping the benefits in a way”, Kassandra, teased, looked up at her, raising her gaze as she nipped at the tender flesh of Auxesia’s hips.

She kissed her way down the crease of her groin, nosing at the fine, greying hair of her sex, breathing the scent of her arousal, filling her lungs with it.

Auxesia knotted her fingers hard in Kassandra’s hair and pushed her hips towards her face, begging silently for Kassandra's mouth. 

She took hold of Auxesia’s thigh with one hand, holding her waist firmly with other, keeping her balanced as she lifted the older woman’s leg over her broad shoulder.

Auxesia was clinging to Kassandra’s head, eyes closed, hips thrusting forward, chasing her mouth as Kassandra leaned back to admire the picture unfolding above her.

“You are so beautiful like this”, she smiled up at her. “I wish you could see what I am seeing.”

Auxesia opened her eyes and gazed down at Kassandra.

“You are a fine one to talk, misthios”, she shook her head. “I have never seen anything more glorious.”

Kassandra crouched back on her heels, getting as low as she could. 

She held Auxesia’s hips and her gaze equally firmly as she ran a long, broad stroke of her tongue along the length of her sex. 

Kassandra felt, rather than heard, the sharp inhale as Auxesia shuddered against her mouth.

She repeated the move, pushing more firmly this time, teasing her way between her folds. Then again, more insistently, chasing the taste of her arousal. 

Auxesia was pulling at Kassandra’s hair almost painfully now, grinding against her mouth, breathing out a low moan at every thrust.

It was awkward to breathe at this angle, but holding her breath had long been part of Kassandra’s training and this was just one of the unintended benefits.

She lost count of her strokes, lost track of how long she’d crouched there, chasing Auxesia’s pleasure, surrounded by the taste and the smell of her, the soft feel of her skin, the sharp pain of fingernails raking her scalp.

Her thighs were slick with her own arousal, her cunt aching in sympathy with her lover’s.

It had been too long. She had almost forgotten how it felt to lose yourself in the moment like this, to have a woman’s soft, supple body in your arms, working against you, chasing down release, her musk thick on your tongue.

It felt like coming home.

She was so lost in the moment that she didn’t immediately register that Auxesia was trying to pull away.

“Stop, misthios, stop, please”, she pushed Kassandra’s head away from her dripping sex.

“Wha..” Kassandra looked up, eyes glassy with pleasure, face slick from the nose down. 

“I..oh”, she lowered Auxesia’s leg carefully, apologetically. “I’m sorry Auxesia. Did I…what did I?….did I hurt you?”

“No, no, gods no, my love” Auxesia stroked her hair comfortingly, touched by the young woman’s concern.

“I can't come like this, I need you inside me. Please? I need to feel your weight on me. Feel your strength. I need you to lay me down and fuck me, Kassandra.”

The sound of her name from Auxesia’s lips made something clench painfully, deep in Kassandra’s belly. 

She was on her feet in an instant, grasping her lover about the waist, carrying her to the bed, laying her down against the pillows, bending to kiss her deeply, allowing her to taste herself on Kassandra’s mouth.

Despite what Auxesia had asked for, Kassandra baulked at lying fully on top of her. 

She lowered herself carefully over to one side and thrust a powerful thigh hard between Auxesia’s legs, hearing her groan, groaning herself at the sensation of wet heat against her skin. 

Propped on one elbow, she could watch Auxesia’s face as she ran a calloused hand slowly down the length of her body, coming to rest between her legs, cupping her sex in the warmth of her palm, rocking firmly.

“Do you want some oil?”, she asked, checking whether the bottle was within reach.

“I don’t think that’s going to be necessary, my sweet”, Auxesia smiled, “you did not oversell your abilities.”

“If you’re sure?” Kassandra slid her hand slowly back and forth between Auxesia’s legs, backing it up with the weight of her thigh, caressing her whole sex firmly with the flat of her hand. 

As she did so she bent her head and sucked one of Auxesia’s nipples into her mouth, suckling hard in time with the strokes of her hand.

Soon Auxesia was moaning desperately, thrusting her hips against the weight of Kassandra’s thigh, opening her legs wide, inviting her inside, chasing her fingers. 

Kassandra quickly withdrew her hand and sucked her fingers wetly before slipping back down and sliding smoothly between Auxesia’s swollen folds.

She teased around her entrance, watching her face as she did so, checking her reaction. 

She looked so lovely, breathless and flushed, hair disarrayed against the pillows, eyes closed, lost in sensation.

Kassandra slid two fingers into her, smooth and slow, and watched as Auxesia’s mouth fell open in a silent gasp of pleasure.

“Enough, love?” she asked softly. “Do you need more?”

Auxesia opened her eyes and gazed glassily at Kassandra, shaking her head.

“You feel perfect, sweet girl, just perfect”, she began to move rhythmically against her hand, reaching up to cradle Kassandra’s face as she did so. “You are just perfect.”

Kassandra bent and kissed her gently, teasing open her lips with the tip of her tongue, probing softly in time with the thrusts of her fingers.

She steadily increased the pressure, leaning a little more heavily onto Auxesia, flexing her thigh hard, giving her a hint of her potential power.

Kassandra’s hands were big enough that she could reach deep into Auxesia and still easily rub her clitoris with the flat pad of her thumb.

She had not lied when she said that she liked a woman who knew what she needed, and Auxesia was just such a woman.

Kassandra learned that she liked firm, steady pressure deeper inside than she would have thought, and steady even circles of her clitoris.

Kassandra was an observant study in this as in many things and she quickly caught Auxesia’s rhythm, pushing hard with her thigh to increase the power of her thrusts. 

As Auxesia's breath became more ragged and the shifting of her hips more desperate, Kassandra raised her head, watching her face intently, breathing hard in sympathy with her, unconsciously rubbing her own sex against Auxesia’s thigh as she helped her chase release.

After a few minutes she felt the tell-tale tightening around the base of her fingers, felt Auxesia’s clitoris recede into the swollen folds of her sex. She changed nothing.

They were so near, so close, chasing this together, a few more firm circles with her thumb, a few more strong thrusts and this beautiful, trusting woman would fall apart in Kassandra’s arms.

“Come for me, Auxesia” she breathed low in her ear. “You can let go, lovely one, I have you, you’re safe with me. Let me see you come apart for me.”

“Oh gods, Kassandra! Oh Kassandra!”

With a shuddering cry Auxesia came, pulsing hard around Kassandra’s fingers. Six, seven, eight….nine….fluttering… ten.

Kassandra’s heart ached with the beauty of it. 

She left her fingers inside, pressed gently with her palm over the rest of Auxesia’s sex, gentled her through the come down, kissing her neck softly, whispering how beautiful she was.

Dawn was breaking when Auxesia finally called “enough”. 

Kassandra fell asleep half lying across her, head resting against her breast, arm flung across her shoulders.

Auxesia didn’t sleep. 

She lay there committing everything to memory. 

The solid weight of Kassandra against her chest. The occasional twitch of her fingers. The lingering taste of Kassandra in her mouth. The slow steady breath of her young lover tickling her skin. The soft silk of her disarrayed hair beneath Auxesia’s fingers as she gently stroked stray locks away from her face.

She looked much younger as she slept. Now and again she would frown and twitch, murmuring unintelligibly and clutching at Auxesia’s shoulder.

“What troubles you, my sweet?” she wondered, holding her a little more tightly whenever this happened. 

She really did know nothing about Kassandra, she reflected. Nothing except her kindness, her passion and the heartbreaking, vulnerable youth of her as she came apart under Auxesia’s tongue. Perhaps she didn’t need to know any more.


	6. Chapter 6

When Kassandra woke it was to the smell of breakfast and the sight of fairly clean armour.

“You didn’t have to do that”, she said later, around a mouthful of honeyed pancakes. “Or this”, she indicated her plate of food.

“I know”, Auxesia sat opposite her, dipping a chunk of bread into a bowl of wine.

“If I had thought you expected it I probably wouldn’t have done it,” she laughed.

“Well, thank you”, Kassandra smiled. “I appreciate it. You have saved me some time and some drachmae. And I get to have breakfast with a beautiful woman,” she waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Auxesia played along, knowing full well that Kassandra was trying to soften their parting.

“You have a silver tongue, misthios”, she smiled.

“I think we established last night that we _both_  have silver tongues”, Kassandra grinned, breaking off a piece of bread to clean her plate. “Can I help you clear these dishes before I leave?”

“No, thank you, Kassandra”, Auxesia got to her feet and went over to a low table by the door. She returned with a soft cloth bag, tied loosely at the neck and a weighty looking coin pouch.

“Here you are,” she placed the pouch by Kassandra’s plate. “Your well earned payment. For the ingredients of course. After all, you’re not  _that_  sort of mercenary.”

She smiled archly, reminding her of something she’d said at their first meeting.

Kassandra had the grace to look a little embarrassed, flushing slightly and rubbing the back of her neck as she pushed back her chair and got to her feet.

“And this is some food, and a flask of wine. For the road.” Auxesia handed her the cloth sack.

“Thank you Auxesia, for everything”, Kassandra bent and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“So chaste now, after everything?” Auxesia tilted her head."Tell me. I know you are not likely to pass this way again. But will you think of me? Sometimes? Fondly even?”

“Oh, my sweet,” Kassandra put the bag on the table and pulled Auxesia into her arms. There were the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

“Don’t cry, lovely one”, she kissed her softly. “Or I’ll start and then my reputation will be ruined. That’s better,” she acknowledged Auxesia’s attempt at a smile.

“Of course I will think of you, and never less than fondly,” she stroked her cheek with a calloused thumb.

”You’ll never be far from my thoughts on the lonely nights beneath the stars. Though those thoughts might require a more intense word than "fond",” she teased.

“I would like that,” Auxesia laughed softly, stroking the planes of Kassandra’s handsome face.

“I will never forget you.” She pressed a soft, lingering kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Go now, misthios, before I try to drug you and keep you forever.”

Kassandra kissed her cheek and collected the bag and pouch from the table.

She was fastening the weighty purse to her belt when raucous laughter broke in from outside. Men’s voices followed.

“Koragos, my friend! Tell me has the misthios left yet?”

“With their tail between their legs no doubt.”

“Or did they flee in the night? Some tasks are too much even for a mercenary eh?”

Kassandra’s brows lowered threateningly.

“Malaka!" she hissed. "This is _not_ happening,” she swung the bag over her shoulder and started for the door.

“No! Kassandra, please?” Auxesia grabbed her arm.

“It’s all right. They are drunken fools. Up all night, swilling cheap wine and singing filthy tavern songs. They are no match for you, my love. Please? Don’t let us end this beautiful night with a brawl.”

“It is  _not_  all right, Auxesia,” Kassandra’s face was pale with anger. “I am not going to walk away and leave them speaking about you like that.”

She fell thoughtful for a moment, then a playful smile replaced the angry scowl.

“Come on, follow me,” she took Auxesia’s hand in hers and they walked out together into the bright mid-morning sun. “Don’t worry, just play along,” she hissed.

Outside, four totally unprepossessing specimens, smelling strongly of stale wine and badly in need of shaving were perched on the low wall bordering the path, teasing Koragos, and pouring more wine for each other.

They looked up together as Kassandra stepped out, armour glinting in the sun, hair freshly braided, looking well fed, well rested and well satisfied.

She stretched impressively, drew herself up to her full height, threw back her shoulders, spread her feet and braced her hands on her hips, giving them the benefit of the “full Kassandra”.

It had the desired effect.

“What a glorious morning,” she boomed, pulling Auxesia to her side in a close embrace. “Fitting, my love, after such a glorious night.”

There was the sound of steady trickling off to her left, and for a moment Kassandra was worried that maybe her audience weren’t quite up to her display.

She cast a cautious, side-long glance at the group and was relieved to see that that one stunned observer was still pouring wine, but missing his cup completely.

A reddish pool was swiftly inching towards the group’s sandals. She chose not to warn them.

“Good morning Koragos, you lucky, lucky dog,” she slapped him on the back, a good deal harder than was strictly necessary.

He gave a winded little squeak and lurched forward, splashing wine on his feet.

“Well my sweet Auxesia,” she dropped the sack of provisions by her feet, safely away from the wine.

Grasping Auxesia’s hands in hers she pressed them to her lips.

“I don’t have the words to do you justice, my darling. I can only thank you, and thank you again for one of the most memorable nights of my life. I will bear the memory of your embrace in my heart forever. Thoughts of your beauty will soothe me on many a cold, lonely night. I beg you, may I steal one final kiss…for the road?”

“Of course, sweet misthios,” Auxesia smiled.

Their audience gaped. All the wine was now sinking through the gravel at their feet.

Kassandra swept Auxesia into a passionate embrace, pulling her close and dipping her low.

As she leaned in for the kiss she whispered into her ear, “I meant every word.”

When they eventually parted, a couple of the men were shifting awkwardly in their seats.

Kassandra swung round and gave them a brief nod.

“Close your mouths gentlemen, there are some big ugly flies over there,” she indicated the  heaving package of spoiled meat that still sat on the wall.

“Farewell, my love,” she shouldered her bag and bowed low to Auxesia.

“May we meet again in the fragrant fields of Elysium,”  she swaggered over to a section of the wall that wasn’t occupied by spoiled meat, or slack jawed drunks, and vaulted lightly over.

It was purely to impress and the drop was a little longer that she had anticipated.

Slightly winded, she set off down the slope through the scrubby bushes.

Far off in the distance she could see the farmhouse of Alkippe and Lyta.

It was a good way off, but today she was fed, dry, rested and satisfied. A heavy pouch of drachmae swung at her hip.

Things were looking up.

“Phobos is going to think I have abandoned him,” she realised.

 Maybe she should run. Today felt like a good day for a run.

**Author's Note:**

> After the fact, I was a bit irritated by the Auxesia questline. Partly because I'd chuckled myself and then realised I was laughing at that "old people having sex is ridiculous, and when it's old women it's also disgusting" idea. So I decided to ride to Auxesia's defense, and have her give Kass the time of her life. Somewhere along the way it swerved hard left into feelings. Maybe I'd been drinking.


End file.
